Depression

I was reading in another blog who was discussing about 'depression', I realized that depression is one of the most misunderstood and misinformed topics. If we are to question the nature of depression, then we need to also question the nature and alleviation of other forms of suffering like Multiple Sclerosis, diabetes, cancer and many others.

The word depression can mean very different things to different people. In daily conversation we may say, "I feel depressed," to describe everyday blues that come and go. These transient blues (also known as dysphoric mood states), however, are not what mental health professionals mean by the word.

Clinical depression refers to a constellation of signs and symptoms that significantly affect a person’s functioning and last for a substantial amount of time.

Sources of depression in three broad categories: environmental, genetic, and chemical/psychological and these three sources seldom stand alone.

Some have a false belief that people including committed Christians will never get depression. Often people forget about men of God like Job, King David, Jeremiah, and many more Bible characters who experienced depression at times in their life. David had grown up as a shepherd, the son of a shepherd. Nobody thought much of him, even his dad ignored him when Samuel tried to gather Eliab and his sons. Not only his dad, but King Saul sought to kill David, even after he saved the Israelites from the Philistines after killing Goliath.

Examples of people in the Bible who suffered bouts of depression
Abraham (Genesis 15)
Jonah (Jonah 4)
Job (Book of Job)
Elijah (1 Kings 19)
King Saul (I Samuel 16:14-23, etc.)
Jeremiah (Book of Jeremiah)
David (Psalms 6, 13, 18, 23, 25, 27, 31, 32, 34, 37-40, 42-43, 46, 51, 55, 62-63, 69, 71, 73, 77, 84, 86, 90-91, 94-95, 103-104, 107, 110, 116, 118, 121, 123-124, 130, 138, 139, 141-143, 146-147)

Depression is the common cold of mental illness. One day, life is filled with the normal ups and downs and the next a cloud so dark that it seems impenetrable engulfs you and refuses to go away. It may last for weeks, then one day it goes away as mysteriously as it came. We call it that because everybody gets it from time to time and it is usually self-limiting; meaning, it goes away by itself with no treatment. But if it doesn’t go away? Depression may hang around like a low-grade fever.

Christians will take medication for diabetes, heart disease, headaches, migraines, arthritis, ulcers, etc. but if you suggest medication for depression, they suddenly think you do not have enough faith. Christians are not immune from depression. Does taking antidepressants mean I don’t have enough faith in God? Negative attitudes toward antidepressants by Christians reflects ignorance and only further stigmatizes the suffering.

God have provided great talents like Dr Luke and other great doctors and medical staff around the world. God also created herbs and similar plants to provide us proper medicine for our health. In case you don't know, many drug companies are using God's creations to make better drugs. Drugs do not come from empty air. I remember this quote and I think this applies:

Get Your Own Dirt

One day a group of scientists got together and decided that man had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they picked one scientist to go and tell Him that they were done with Him.

The scientist walked up to God and said, "God, we've decided that we no longer need you. We're to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don't you just go on and get lost."

God listened very patiently and kindly to the man and after the scientist was done talking, God said, "Very well, how about this, let's say we have a man making contest."

To which the scientist replied, "OK, great!"

But God added, "Now, we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam."

The scientist said, "Sure, no problem" and bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt.

God just looked at him and said, "No, no, no. You go get your own dirt!"

I have multiple sclerosis (MS) and taking treatments for it. I am deaf and wearing hearing-aids to hear. I have diabetes and I am taking medicine for that as well. I will not reject what God have provided through great people who came up with medicines to help us. There were number of Christians in the Bible who were sick (i.e. 2 Timothy 4:20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus.) 1 Timothy 5:23 Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. Trusting God is important when you are sick but at the same time, use God's people who have spiritual gifts (talents) to help others.

Proverbs 20:24 How can we understand the road we travel? It is the LORD who directs our steps.

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.(Eccl 7:14).

In Proverbs 16:9 We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.

We don't know God's will specifically but we will know what directions we should be going. To be grateful to God's servants is to be grateful to God in all circumstances. Thanking God shows humility and acknowledges His rightful aurhority as the Sovereign Lord and the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). We are to be thankful in ALL circumstances.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 I may not be feeling well physically today but I have learned to be thankful anyhow and to rejoice in the promises of God.

God's eternal blessings do not depend on how I feel today. The point is this: my feelings (i.e. cope) in no way change my eternal blessings because of great examples in Hebrews 11. I will NOT dare not relate my faith and hope to my emotions of the moment and to how I feel today or whatever the circumstances I am facing. God said "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9. In God's grace, I am secured by His peace, by His grace and secured by His eternal hope. Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). Spiritual peace is my peace with Him through His powerful GRACE because when I carry God's graceful and peaceful heart into turbulent circumstances, I will ALWAYS experience peace.

Keep in mind, practicing faith is not easy so the words may look easy but the applying will be harder in reality. Mark Pickup said it perfectly when he was healthy at one point, “I have been more service to God disabled than during my able-bodied years. This didn’t happen despite my disability but because of my disability.”